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Seba Johnson, vegan skier

Seba Johnson, vegan skier

Skiing and making history

Seba Johnson is a Winter Olympian who has represented The United States Virgin Islands in the Slalom event and also the Giant Slalom.

She started skiing in her childhood and aged 14 competed in Calgary, Canada in the 1988 Winter Olympic games in the women’s Giant Slalom. In doing so she became the youngest alpine ski racer in Olympic history. She placed an impressive 28th out of 64 while competing against the world’s best adults. She was also the world’s first black female to ski in the Olympics.

In 1989 Seba competed in the World Alpine Ski Championships in Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado aged 15.

Three years later she competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics in France in the Slalom and Giant Slalom. She did not compete in the 1996 Winter Olympics in Norway through choice in response to Norway’s decision to resume whaling.

Seba has shown strength of character in dealing with abuse and harassment on racial grounds as a competitor in a sport traditionally contested by white people. She has received death threats and deliberate disruption of her training.

Vegan from the start

Seba was brought up vegan from birth and has never consumed any animal products. She is involved in education about the effects on health and animal welfare of eating animal products. She has been disqualified from a race for refusing to wear a ski suit which included a piece of leather.

Following her retirement in 1992 she entered full time education and left with a degree in Fine Arts. She then spent time educating young people about health and animal welfare as well as bringing skiing to inner city Boston.

She has now started a career in film as an actor and also in modeling.